Tuesday - Day 22

Romajech faced the Seven Locks challenge and finally won, but it was hard work. The locks on this stretch of the Leicester bit of the Grand Union are heavy and unwieldy, leaking, refusing to open and close (both gates and paddles) and also running low on water in some of the pounds. Graffiti on the lock beams adds to the sense of impending 'civilisation'.

We hoped to take it gently but brute force turned out to be the order of the day. One of the lock gates needed both of us to move it at all. Met a couple travelling the other way and they said to ignore all the horror stories about Leicester. They had set off at 6.30am yesterday and had no trouble at all; just that Leicester was a city and it was hard work. They recommended the moorings at Kilby Bridge and said that it where they ended up after their day's boating. They also said to aim for Thurmaston to moor in after getting through Leicester.

We took their advice and we were glad to be able to fill up with water and empty the rubbish etc. at quiet moorings at Kilby Bridge alongside a country park. Rewarded ourselves with a lunch at 'The Navigation' waterside pub. Good meal with friendly and helpful waitress who told us where to go for shopping, cash machine and taxi etc. Apparently there is a Sainsbury's in Wigston. Excited! Off there in a while to reconnoitre.

We walked up to Sainsbury's in 45 minutes - it was small but fine. Got a taxi back and were impressed. Queen's Taxis 0116 2701700 - very efficient, confirmed everything with texts and also asked for feedback.

I forgot to mention in yesterday's blog that we saw a terrapin about the size of a side plate sunning itself on a tree stump on the edge of the canal. An alien creature - striped in green, brown, lemon and cream motley. Also saw a huge one in a park near Rothley a few weeks ago which was the size of a large dinner plate. Do they breed in this country?

In Blue Adeline, we set off at 9am and joined the queue of two boats waiting to go down Foxton Locks.  Since the locks are single and one-way, several boats come up and down but only in one direction at once.   After an hour, we got the go ahead from the voluntary lock-keeper, who was excellent - reassuring and informative.  

Each lock has a pound and the lock discharges water into the pound below and receives water from the pound above - the order is important.  The paddle order is therefore "red before white - and you're all right" not "white before red - you're dead!".  

Blue Adeline about to descend

Leaky top gates at Foxton

By the second staircase, we were in the swing and an hour after starting our descent were in the basin at the bottom - and shortly afterwards in the tiny and charming Bridge 61 pub nearby. Saddington Tunnel (880 yards) was a few miles further on and we decided to find a mooring for the night after that.

Beautiful scenery continued and we had the waterway to ourselves for many hours, apart from a few moored boats.  At Debdale Marina, we filled up with water and in the office met Jake and his recently acquired steampunk top hat, which he graciously modelled.  A boating couple suggested Wystowe as a good spot for the night.

The tunnel and five locks later we passed under bridge 77 and a lovely vista unfolded on the left; fields, trees and a single building of pale stone.  This is the church of Wystowe, a medieval village now abandoned.  

We moored up by some convenient pilings in view of the church and a stunning sunset.